Mission Bay retires jersey of NFL star Arian Foster

PACIFIC BEACH – In his fourth season playing professional football, Arian Foster is now firmly entrenched as a legend at Mission Bay High. The Houston Texans’ rusher had his No. 2 jersey retired during halftime of the Buccaneers’ 34-12 loss to Point Loma Friday afternoon.

“Obviously it’s cool and for people that did a lot for you to in essence immortalize you for a little bit – that means a lot,” Foster said. “I was a little bit surprised. I didn’t know that I made that much of an impact here. I guess I did, and I’m really grateful and appreciative of it.”

Foster found out about the jersey retirement earlier in the week and flew out to be a part of the ceremony along with his father Carl Foster, mother Bernadette Sizemore, brother Abdul Foster, close friends and former teammates. Foster attended Mission Bay for two years, and earned All-CIF honors as a senior in 2003 after recording 2,500 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns for the Buccaneers.

“There is a lot of sentimental value just standing on the field,” Foster said. “The relationships I made and the people I met – everything that this school has given to me.”

After starring at Mission Bay, Foster attended the University of Tennessee where he finished as the program’s second leading rusher with 2,964 career yards. Foster went undrafted and signed with the Texans in 2009, and has become one of the best backs in the NFL.

“The history in San Diego is so rich, and I just wanted an opportunity to add to that,” Foster said. “I got mine, and I felt like I did okay with it.”

In four seasons with the Texans, Foster has recorded more than 5,000 all-purpose yards, scored 43 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons. This year the 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound back ranks near the top of the league in rushing yards and attempts to pace the Super Bowl contender Texans.

“It’s our bye week, so I’m just enjoying San Diego, enjoying California,” Foster said. “It’s a wonderful place to come back to.”

As for the game itself, there wasn’t much to celebrate for Mission Bay (5-4, 2-2 Western). Point Loma senior Jamal Agnew ran the opening kickoff 80 yards for a score, and the visiting Pointers scored three touchdowns in the opening two minutes to put the game out of reach.

Agnew ran for a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter – and celebrated with Foster’s trademark Namaste bow – to put Point Loma (6-2, 3-0) ahead 28-0. The Pointers’ 22-point win sets up a winner-take-all Western League contest at Madison next week.

Pictured: Houston Texans running back and former Mission Bay star Arian Foster talks to the crowd during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Point Loma-Mission Bay game. The Buccaneers retired Foster’s No. 2 jersey.